In Canada, I am very used to people minding their manners, "watching their pints and quarts", and sometimes practice good etiquette.  I was very surprised at how other people from other countries behaved in even the smallest ways.  For example, it is very rude to call someone "fat" in Canada, and downright humiliating depending on how it's said, but in fact, to other people, they may innocently make a remark about one's size without meaning to be rude.  A remark like this made a damper on one night for me.  After a while, I realized that many people say things that they don't think is rude at all, but rather, a compliment.  "You'd be so pretty if you lost a little weight," is not a compliment to a woman in Canada, but maybe it's perfectly okay somewhere else.

 

Intruding to the beginning of lineups, hungrily grabbing for something like a spoon in the mashed potatoes in the mess line up when it's not their turn, or even bumping in to someone is a shocking reality for someone like me.  I was raised to wait my turn and say excuse me should anything like that happen in Canada.  Sadly, some nations rely on a first-come-first-serve, or even a dog-eat-dog society, where if you snooze you lose.  No one wants to be left out, but there's plenty to go around!  Getting out of that habit is hard for people of these other cultures, and trying to teach them will only make you look snobbish.  Though I loved meeting people from all over the world, I was culturally alienated at times, because there are fewer Canadians than I thought who work on board.

 

Do yourself a favour and learn some Spanish.  Many crewmembers are from Spanish-speaking nations, and there's nothing more complimentary to them than hearing "Por favor" or "Muchas gracias!" when you've ordered a beer in the crew bar from your favourite Honduran bartender.  Sometimes we appear ignorant not knowing another language, when these people have purposely learned two just to work on board.  Not only that, but Spanish sure helps when visiting several ports!

 

While at port, you're on their turf.  Bartering while shopping is a touchy area for someone like me because I hate to offend.  It's fun to barter, but don't abuse the hard-working people.  Especially don't let someone pushy shove goods in a bag and tell you how much to give them.  This is a technique used by many to fool you in to buying items you don't want or need.

 

Watch for panhandlers.  It is known that often people sit on the streets (often children) and beg for money when they actually have families who work.  Look for clues, such as chubby children who look like they are being fed well, shoes on their feet, the state of their clothing.  Families sometimes make good money on sending their children out pulling at tourists' heart-strings, and it works!  The problem is, who's who on the street?  If you can't tell, don't bother.  Working on the ship isn't exactly going to make you rich either, so don't feel so bad.

 

Hearing people speak together in their native tongue, or group together can feel intimidating, especially if they are high in rank.  The people that will understand you best are those from your home country.  Seek out fellow countrymen if it makes you more comfortable.  I made a point of immersing myself with the Indonesian crowd one night.  I was the only white, Canadian woman in the Indonesian mess while they sang and played guitars.  I ended up singing with them, and treating them with the utmost respect, and in the end, became their favourite Canadian girl.  It made me feel good that I was somehow 'accepted' from another group of people where I felt at first, out of place.